A print book preference: Caregivers report higher child enjoyment and more adult-child interactions when reading print than electronic books

Prior research has indicated that parents of young children prefer their children read print over electronic books. In this study we addressed whether this preference is associated with differences in child enjoyment and engagement or joint caregiver-child interactions during reading. Caregivers of children ages 1-4 years reported their children not only read traditional books more than electronic books, but enjoyed them more and paid more attention to them. Caregivers also reported participating in more adult-child interactions when reading print than electronic books. This research is important because it indicates that caregivers and children may not tend to engage with electronic formats in optimal ways. The result may be a cycle of lower-quality interaction and lower-quality learning with electronic books.